The story of black theatre in America began as demeaning as the life of the African slave in America. White America was first introduced to black theatre in 1664 on the slave ship Hannibal. The slaves were forced to sing and dance for the crew as a form of "daily exercise" . The first form of African-American theatre produced in America was in 1769 in the play Padlock. In it, we have a type of stereotypical character that would often come to define the way in which blacks were portrayed in theatre. His name is Mungo, a West Indian slave who portrays himself as an illiterate clown. Many plays such as The Yorker's Stratagem and The Triumph of Love would continue this trend. As if to add insult to injury, these characters were usually played out by white companies in front of white audiences, which made the black actor extremely uncomfortable. It wasn't until 1776 that we, slowly but surely, begin to see works that would portray black in a good light. The first of these was John Leacock's The Fall of the British Tyranny. Unlike anything before it, the play proceeded to show blacks as heroes. With the turn of the 19th century came even more forms of black theatre. With it also came black playwrights. William Wells Brown would be the first African American to write a drama. Black theatres also began to come into the American existence. One of the biggest of these was the African Grove Theatre, which was founded in 1821 by a West Indian named James Hewett. Hewett was a big name on his own, being the first black man to perform Othello and Richard the III. The theatre looked to be a big success, However, white audiences came to heckle and ridicule the actors. Due to this, it was forced to eventually close its doors. However, those such as Hewett and new actor Ira Aldridge began finding new places to perform throughout New York City. Other promising artists began to add their work to the fold. Unfortunately, there still seemed to be more popularity in the minstrel shows. During these performances, white "actors" would dress up in black face and portray blacks in the stereotypes that entertained the white audiences. Blacks began to make their own traveling minstrel companies. However, white business owners usually took over ownership, and they would gear the company's act towards a more racist and entertaining show.
With the turn of the 20th century came an incredible influx of black art, theatre, and culture, specifically during the 1920's. Musicals that were once labeled as "coon shows" would soon be replace with beautiful works such as and Shuffle Along, The Oyster Man, and The Mayor of Dixie (Aubrey Lyles and Flournoy Miller). The Harlem Renaissance would produce such names as Marcus Garvey, Bessie Smith, Langston Hughes, and Neale Hurston. Next thing you know, shows centered around the black experience were opening on Broadway left and right.With it also brought racial awareness. African-American leaders such as W.E.B DuBois and organizations such as the NAACP were keen on removing racist portrayals of blacks from the stage.With their endeavors, along with playwrights such as Frederick O'Neal and Helen Martin, came the American Negro Theatre in Harlem. They produced black plays with black casts for black audiences. Although the ANT and musicals such as South Pacific and Kiss me Kate had help assimilate black actors into "white" plays, it wasn't till the 1950's that black theatre began to take its upswing. With this era came a new golden age of black talent. Names such as Cicely Tyson, Lou Gossett, James Earl Jones, Maya Angelou, Sidney Poitier, and Ethel Ayler came onto the scene and remained till this very day. Black artists were beginning to also develop a "black aesthetic" for this new movement. Most importantly, audiences, both black and white, were beginning to appreciate what black theatre had to offer. In order for it to continue to thrive, it must stay this way.
In my opinion, I do not view Fires in the Mirror as a black play. I believe the play has a multitude of different shades. Most importantly, I think that it is a play about misunderstanding and loss. Towards the end of the play, Rabbi Shea Hecht has a wonderful monologue where he describes the differences between the two races. He speaks of how wrong it would be to offer to cook and prepare dinner for a Jewish person. It's not that he isn't appreciative of the food or the reason behind it. But there is a certain way of doing it that only a Jewish person could ever understand. In this way, I think that Anna Deveare Smith is trying not trying to tell the audience to not see race. Rather, she is telling them to see it with an open mind. It is impossible to understand how another race feels unless you are of that race.
With the turn of the 20th century came an incredible influx of black art, theatre, and culture, specifically during the 1920's. Musicals that were once labeled as "coon shows" would soon be replace with beautiful works such as and Shuffle Along, The Oyster Man, and The Mayor of Dixie (Aubrey Lyles and Flournoy Miller). The Harlem Renaissance would produce such names as Marcus Garvey, Bessie Smith, Langston Hughes, and Neale Hurston. Next thing you know, shows centered around the black experience were opening on Broadway left and right.With it also brought racial awareness. African-American leaders such as W.E.B DuBois and organizations such as the NAACP were keen on removing racist portrayals of blacks from the stage.With their endeavors, along with playwrights such as Frederick O'Neal and Helen Martin, came the American Negro Theatre in Harlem. They produced black plays with black casts for black audiences. Although the ANT and musicals such as South Pacific and Kiss me Kate had help assimilate black actors into "white" plays, it wasn't till the 1950's that black theatre began to take its upswing. With this era came a new golden age of black talent. Names such as Cicely Tyson, Lou Gossett, James Earl Jones, Maya Angelou, Sidney Poitier, and Ethel Ayler came onto the scene and remained till this very day. Black artists were beginning to also develop a "black aesthetic" for this new movement. Most importantly, audiences, both black and white, were beginning to appreciate what black theatre had to offer. In order for it to continue to thrive, it must stay this way.
In my opinion, I do not view Fires in the Mirror as a black play. I believe the play has a multitude of different shades. Most importantly, I think that it is a play about misunderstanding and loss. Towards the end of the play, Rabbi Shea Hecht has a wonderful monologue where he describes the differences between the two races. He speaks of how wrong it would be to offer to cook and prepare dinner for a Jewish person. It's not that he isn't appreciative of the food or the reason behind it. But there is a certain way of doing it that only a Jewish person could ever understand. In this way, I think that Anna Deveare Smith is trying not trying to tell the audience to not see race. Rather, she is telling them to see it with an open mind. It is impossible to understand how another race feels unless you are of that race.